- 18.0 Megapixel CMOS (APS-C) sensor, 14-bit A/D conversion, ISO 100-12800; expandable to 25600 (H) for shooting from bright to dim light and high performance DIGIC 5 Image Processor for exceptional image quality and speed
- High speed continuous shooting up to 5.0 fps allows you to capture all the action
- Improved autofocus performance with a 9-point all cross-type AF system (including a high-precision dual-cross f/2.8 center point), and new Hybrid CMOS AF increases autofocus speed when shooting photos and movies in Live View
- Enhanced EOS Full HD Movie mode with Movie Servo AF for continuous focus tracking of moving subjects, manual exposure control and multiple frame rates (1080: 30p (29.97) / 24p (23.976) / 25p, 720: 60p (59.94) / 50p, 480: 30p (29.97) / 25p)
- New 3.0-inch Vari-angle Touch Screen Clear View LCD monitor II (approximately 1,040,000 dots) with smudge-resistant coating features multi-touch operation and Touch AF for an easy and intuitive experience, flexible positioning, and clear viewing even when outdoors
I had this long awesome review and Amazon lost it of course. So here goes a second try.
This is my second Canon camera. Previously I have owned Olympus and Minolta cameras. I owned a t2i before this and used a t3i for weeks for testing purposes. I will try to cover most aspects of the new features and image quality. For testing purposes I used a Canon 17-40L lens.
Look and Feel:
Not much to say here for the look of the camera. Looks almost the exact same as the t2i, t3i. The battery grip and accessories all fit the same. One thing that is different from the t2i is the proximity sensor. On the t2i it was below the optical viewfinder and above the screen. On the t4i it is above the optical viewfinder. I use an eyecup(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003Y06336)and it used to make the screen shut off on its own regularly on the t2i. This is a non issue for the t4i. There is also an added dedicated movie button in the power switch now.
Feel is a little different. The t4i feels more sturdy than the previous two rebels. The buttons are more solid and the selector wheels are improved. The adjustment wheel has better clicks and don't feel like you could easily flick it and change a setting by accident. The mode selector wheel is sturdier as well. I notice this because my t2i used to regularly switch to A-DEP mode when I would pull the camera out of my bag and I would get upset if I missed a quick shot because of it. I feel this will be a non issue with the new model. One issue I have is using my eyecup mentioned previously. The flippy screen catches on this and is just a slight annoyance but not a huge deal in the grand scheme. The rebel series always felt a bit small in the hand for me so I now use a battery grip which adds weight and substance to the camera.
Touchscreen:
When I saw rumors that the t4i would have a touchscreen I first said I wouldn't buy it. I figured this would be a gimmick and offer limited functionality. Then when i saw the press release and videos from Canon I changed my mind. I was sceptic of a couple things I will address here. I will start with the touch to adjust. Right now I feel kind of wonky using the touchscreen to make most adjustments to shooting in manual mode which is all i shoot in. But I consider this like moving from a blackberry to an iPhone. You are used to using buttons and the keyboard for so long you are lost on the touchscreen at first, but with time it ends up faster and easier. So in time it will end up faster for me to adjust by touch I am sure. It is in two spots already. ISO adjusting always seemed kind of odd to me on the rebel. The ISO button was placed so you had to kind of search for it and then do a three button combo to set it. On the touchscreen I find this easier. A couple taps and its done. The other major place it's easier for me is AEB. Bracketing on Canon is typically a pain. Hit menu, find the exposure selector, hit OK. Slide the wheel, hit OK again then press menu. On touchscreen you just press the exposure and tap a couple times to set the bracket.
Touch to focus was something that I didn't see coming from Canon. When they announced it my thought was it would be OK but nothing great. I figured it would be where you would touch on one of the 9 AF points you would like the camera to use. But thanks to the hybrid CMOS on the camera, it is truly a touch to focus. No matter where in the frame you press the camera will seek out and quickly focus on that area. This function works much better than I anticipated and I may use it in the future. At first I figured this would be a selling point for soccer moms but I was incorrect. I have not used the face detection follow focus to comment on it yet.
Image Quality:
This is the most important thing in the end when you buy any camera. How will my images look? The t4i does not disappoint. Thanks to improvements in the processor, focus, sensor and noise reduction software the t4i simply crushes the previous rebel cameras. We can start with the White balance. On the previous rebels and even the 60d, white balance was not so great. A yellow or tan-ish hue was almost always present and reds were soft. Canon has addressed this issue and images are clear and cary a nice contrast throughout the image. Auto focus I have touched on. Moving from 1 to 9 cross type AF points and a new added contrast detection sensor for AF makes a world of difference. Focus is fast and true and doesn't waste time seeking as much as before. In live view mode in low light, the digic4 and old sensors were pretty bad. A lot of seeking and misplaced focal areas. This is greatly improved with this model. Because of these reasons if you shoot in auto focus or any auto mode on the camera your images will turn out better.
Low Light/High ISO:
When the digic 5 was announced Canon touted this as being able to provide up to 75% better image quality over the digic 4. Of course I didn't buy into this because it's Canon and they were there to sell you. With the t4i Canon added the digic 5 as well as some new noise reduction software to boot. How did it make out? I tested these things against a Canon 60D. Same lens, same settings. In RAW at ISO 6400 the image quality looked at least twice as good over the 60D in terms of noise. At 12800 its laughable. That being said, on my t2i I would not use an image over ISO 1600 to print or display or sell. On the t4i I would gladly use ISO 3200 and at times 6400. Auto focus is so much improved at high ISO and low light that it's one of the first things you notice when comparing the camera to the 60D.
Battery life: Have not used it a full day to test yet. I imagine if you use full time AF it will go down slightly from the previous models.
Other Additions:
Scene Intelligent Auto....Used for one shot. Seemed to be OK but I am a manual shooter. I am sure this would work well for most beginners.
Handheld Night Scene....This takes 4 quick shots in a row and then in the camera combines them to reduce shake and noise. At 6400 ISO the image did result in less noise over standard shooting in RAW. This mode can only be done in JPG. I can see it being very good indoors at functions or for quick night shots outside.
HDR Backlight Control....This will do in camera HDR. It takes three shots of various exposure and combines them to improve highlight and shadow detail.This worked well and didn't produce too much noise in low light. It does not produce an image that people now days think of in HDR with blown out tones and surreal feeling to it. It is more traditional in where it just makes shadows appear less and corrects some blowing out by brighter lights in a frame. Works well for what its supposed to be. Also only available in JPG
Autofocus during video...Worked well and somewhat fast with my 17-40. Still allowed some noise from the lens searching for focus, but I wasn't using one of the STM lenses designed for this function.
EDIT: Since my initial review I have had a chance to test video with an STM lens and try out the face follow focus. The STM lens does improve focus speed quite a bit in video and is much quieter. There is still a little noise but may be something you don't notice depending on the scene you are shooting. Face follow focus works better than I thought it would. It can actually focus on an object as well as just faces. It follows through the frame very well and precise even in low light. It's nto super fast to focus but still works well.
PROS:
Outstanding Image Quality. Even at higher ISO
Touchscreen
Ease Of Use
5 Frames Per Second Shooting
Auto Focus
CONS:
Built in stereo mic is kind of pointless unless you use an STM lens. Maybe even then.
The bezel around the touchscreen is uneven, but that has nothing to do with function. It's just poor design.
Learning curve on the touchscreen
Feature guide...It makes touchscreen control unbearable. Just disable it as soon as you turn the camera on and save yourself the frustration of being told why you need to change ISO every time you touch the button for it.
FINAL WORD:
If you were holding back or looking for a reason to upgrade your digic 4 based camera this is the one you are looking for. Compared to the t2i/t3i/60D this camera will offer you better image quality, focus, low light performance and ease of use. Yes the 60D is an "upgrade" over the rebel line but as of now, you'd only gain size, weight and one stop of shutter speed over the t4i with the 60D. With the t4i you'd gain better images, video, high ISO performance, touchscreen, shutter lag and a few other things. This camera offers many new technologies and additions from Canon that aren't seen on any other camera in their line up. If you are a beginner or someone with a previous rebel looking for a nice camera you will find this camera to offer many things that you will enjoy in a first camera or an upgrade. This camera can make your photos better by taking the same photos as you would have with the previous models just with the improvements and that is what you should look for. The t3i was a small upgrade form the t2i and Canon has made up for it with this rebel.
If you do own or buy this camera join the flickr group we have made. It can be found at Flickr /groups/canont4i/
Buy Canon EOS Rebel T4i 18.0 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 18-135mm EF-S IS STM Lens Now
I've only had my T3i for about 8 months when this came out but I read the details and decided to pre-order. The new T4i just arrived today (body only) and I've been playing around with it all afternoon using my 50mm 1.4 lens.
All I can say so far is WOW I'm very impressed with the upgraded autofocus, the touchscreen, as well as the new focus selection methods. There is a LOT less delay when you move the camera and what you see on the screen in Live Mode. Live Mode is MUCH "snappier" feeling. When you turned on the T3i in Live Mode, it would have a little rectangle you could move around the screen to make sure the camera was focusing on what you wanted. But with the T4i, this system is much more versatile. You can tap the screen to instantly set a focus point, or you can move the little box around (which is much smaller and more precise now and it will also FOLLOW your focus point when you move the camera around!), or you can allow for a more "general focus" by getting rid of the little box and letting the camera choose how it wants to focus, similar to how it works when using only the viewfinder to take photos. When you do the "general focus", a bunch of little boxes appear on the screen letting you know exactly which parts of the photo are in sharp focus the T3i did not do this and only relied on the positioning of the focus box.
The continuous autofocus during video worked very well on my 50mm 1.4 lens sure, the focus motor was a little noisy, but if you're taking scenic shots or something where you'll be replacing the audio with music anyway, motor noise is a non-issue. If you're doing interviews where the person is talking into a lav mic, it still won't be an issue because the lav mic will be too far away to pick up the motor noise. Motor noise is only an issue if you're using the built in mic, which I would regard as an "emergency only" mic anyway.
So all this means that you do NOT need an STM lens to use continuous autofocus the main purpose of the STM technology as I understand it is to make autofocus FASTER and QUIET. Video autofocus with my 50mm 1.4 is what I would call "fast enough" meaning, it is a bit slow compared to a camcorder (and noticeable on-screen), but not so slow that it should distract my viewers from the content too much. The only time continuous autofocus won't serve you very well is in dark rooms where it can't lock on to anything very quickly. My 50mm 1.4 lens hunted for focus in very dark areas so in situations like that I would manual focus.
Video is excellent quality as always. If you're used to the T3i video, this is just as stellar and tends to make people and scenes look better than they do in real life (when using the 50mm 1.4 at least) They've moved the video mode to be part of the on/off switch instead of on the mode dial which is where it was on the T3i. This allows you to pick a mode on the dial and then turn on video straight from there and make use of those settings. So you can do full auto exposure video, full manual exposure video, or Program Mode video very easily.
I also love the increased ISO to 12800 and the ability for the camera to take multiple exposures and combine them to help eliminate noise and camera shake. This works very well for my purposes. It's a small thing but something I've not noticed anyone else talking about is how much BETTER the shutter sounds. Somehow it's more satisfying and reminds me of the more expensive cameras.
HDR Mode: I've uploaded some of this camera's HDR photos to the image section on this page so you can see how well it did combining 3 photos at 3 different exposures the T4i can do this in camera with no software needed. It takes 3 quick photos and processes them for a few seconds and then the result is the image you see. The 3 originals do not get saved. To save them, you would have to use manual exposure bracketing which this camera does quite well. When using HDR mode, you only have to worry about getting proper focus and then everything else is taken care of for you. Some of the images can come out looking a little weird, but if you take 2 or 3 different versions at different focal points, you should get at least one that looks very nice and detailed with lighting that doesn't look too cartoony. One thing that surprised me was how, in one of my photos, a car unexpectedly entered the scene while it was taking the 3 shots. The resulting image had NO car at all. Pretty cool.
CONS: So far, the only thing I DON'T like about the cam are the buttons somehow they feel cheaper and more fragile than on the T3i. I'll update this if I discover anything else not up to par.
Overall, I love the camera and am very happy with my upgrade over the T3i. I'm really looking forward to seeing what the new STM lenses can do.
Read Best Reviews of Canon EOS Rebel T4i 18.0 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 18-135mm EF-S IS STM Lens Here
I upgraded from Canon T1i to Canon T4i. Having this T4i camera for 3 days and taking more than 1,000 pictures in different modes and environments, I want to write a few words for other fellows.
The main reasons for my upgrade are: 1) 9 cross-type focusing points; 2) Faster shooting burst rate; 3) Continuous video focusing; 4) Touch screen (very useful features). The picture quality is from very good to excellent. Color tone is realistic. Pictures from T4i camera look better than pictures from T1i camera in term of white balance and sharpness (probably from the benefits of 9 cross-type focus points). It is definitely more snappy in sport mode, focusing is fast and burst rate is good. I do like the continuous focusing feature in the video mode because of the convenience. It takes between 1 2 second to focus to new scene and you can hear the focusing noise from the lense. Definitely, there are rooms for improvement (faster focusing and reduce the motor noise during focusing) in video feature. I don't have the new Canon STM lense, so I don't know if it is quite or not.
This camera is good enough as an entry level and for people who to upgrade from their point-and-shoot cameras.
Link to some sample pictures that I took with my Canon T4i camera (go to flickr.com and search under tags only for henrynnguyen). I uploaded the orginal picture size (3456x5184 pixels), but the flickr.com reduced the picture size to 1365x2048 pixels. Hopefully that you still have a sense of how the picture quality look. Most of my pictures were taken in raw format, then converted to jpeg format using Canon provided software. The lenses that I used were Canon 50mm F1.4 USM and Canon 28-70mm F2.8 L series. The memory card is ScanDisk 32GB, UHS-1 rated. The Canon T4i camera performs as advertised by Canon. My main interests are accurate and fast focusing with high burst rate (who is not???). Overall, this is a very good entry dSLR camera. So, I am happy with the product and intend to keep it.
Want Canon EOS Rebel T4i 18.0 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 18-135mm EF-S IS STM Lens Discount?
You're thinking of getting the t4i, reading the reviews, comparing it to the t3i and countless others and pulling your hair out at all the pros and cons? Am I close? I'm a photographer and have used this, the t3i and its sony equivalent. I might be able to help. Here's hoping :) Let me start with an anecdote, (you've read enough technical jargon for now so consider this a breather)
I film eagles on the isle of Mull in the Scottish hebrides and the landlady I stay with was telling me about this other photographer who visits her little cottage (it's beautiful by the way, you should visit if you get the chance). So anyway, she is cooking tea , as she does if you ask her nicely. While it's cooking he shows her one of his photos, probably of a sea eagle catching a fish. Everyone wants to photograph one of those even though its on every other postcard in Scotland. Next to a highland cow looking over a gate its the top photo/cliche to get.. Anyhoo, she looks at the photo and says "wow that's great...you must have a brilliant camera" .
So they sit down for supper a bit later and its delicious, she is a great cook. He says "This is lovely...you must have some great saucepans!" boom boom.
But herein lies the real point of this camera. You know its the person behind the camera that takes the pictures but do you really know it? This and the t3i take pictures so good (if you have the skill) you could blow it up the size of front door but are you going to want to. The thing no sellers want to tell you is that for years, maybe 5 , all of the big names have been making great dslr. Since the nikon d40 perhaps. But you really want to know, if you bought this, would you be happy or buying a pup. Be reassured that neither canon, nikon or sony make chocolate teapots. They know how to make a great camera and this is one. It's biggest difference as you will have read ad nauseum , is the touch screen. is it worth it. It is if you like touch screens (I do). That's not flippant, it's how it is.
So the photos will be great and its a great camera, you've read other reviews so I won't duplicate what you have already read but one thing you may not have read is about the video. All the makers have got dslr right. No pups in sight, but video is a relatively new feature and Sony have tbh been leading the way. This camera sets to rectify that by having autofocus. A lot of places on the net, say it's not needed, you should be using manual focus. Nonsense. Manual focus is ok at times but can be a pain. Filming your dog on the beach for example..The autofocus on the t4i is actually pretty good. Not as good as a camcorder but pretty good. The slowest part is for it to get going. But when it's locked on its sound. Well worth having. So thats sorted right..err no, not really. This is the 650d 's killer feature. Trouble is, they left out the killer feature on the 600d. The 3x zoom with "no loss in quality". So here is the choice if you are buying this for video.
if you want you're 300mm zoom to be able to zoom to 900mm for filming sport or wildlife. It's the t3i for you.
If you love the idea of autofocus (or hate the idea of doing it the old fashioned way) its the t4i for you.
In my opinion if you're considering the other makes like Sony, it comes down to who makes the the lens you are likely to want. I know I have focused (blabbed on) about video but hey, there has been thousands of photo reviews already about iso , shutter speed etc etc. Nothing for me to add there!
So if you are considering using it for video here are a few "must have" things you will need to go with it.
Velbon DV7000 3-Section Ultra Heavy Duty Tripod with Geared Center Column, 2-Way Fluid Head and QB-6RL Quick Shoe, Max Height 64-inch, Supports 9.9 lbs
58mm HMC Ultraviolet UV(C) Haze Multicoated Filter Doesn't have to be this particular one but hey..
Oh and the one that should have gone top of my list
Make better videos with your dslr or camcorder (gives details of the counter intuitive settings that actually work best :) )
So now I have spent ten minutes typing away, telling you how I like the t4i for video (I do) do me a little favour and click that you find this helpful. Unless you don't. Either way you will enjoy this camera but do consider the little brother the t3i also. We live in good times to take photos as there are so many great cameras and this is definitely one of them. One more thing I forgot to mention (and yes it is regarding the video) is that to get great video you need to use the right settings in the menu. Unfortunately these are counter intuitive and if you don't use them you may be under whelmed. If anyone wants them, comment and I will try to post a link
I have the T3i and absolutely love the camera. Its feature packed and has incredible image quality. I recently purchased the T4i (body only) and was thoroughly impressed with the first press of the shutter!
Cross Type Focal Points:
Not only is the shutter quieter and faster than the T3i's, the enhanced cross type focusing on all points combined with the new image sensor is WAY FASTER and MORE ACCURATE than the already good but not great T3i. I rarely use the outer focal points on the T3i because the focusing is slow and unreliable, its always been center point or manual focus for me. Not so on the T4i! Super fast focusing on all points and great image quality!
Touch Screen:
Excellent addition to any DSLR and it works wonderfully! Everything you can do from the Main Menu button on the T3i and the Quick Menu button can be done through the Touchscreen's interface on the T4i. EVERYTHING!
Constant Auto Focus:
I tested this feature with my existing lenses and yes, you do notice the hunting and hear the autofocus motor (which will vary from lens to lens) but I have not tested it with the new 4omm or the new 18-135 STM lenses, yet.
Custom White Balance:
I believe this is new or I just never used it on my T3i. A very nice grid displays from the Quick Menu that allows you to set a custom white balance. No, this is not just selecting AWB from the white balance options, thats still available but the custom piece appears to be a new feature. (I could very well be wrong about that one)
The ADEP option has been removed from the dial. I rarely used it but it was nice having the foreground and background in focus option available in the 'manual' region of the dial.
UPDATED/CORRECTED INFO:
Earlier I made a correction regarding the lack of digital zoom. Well, the final correction to my previous correction is this, there is in fact no digital zoom. At least none I can find that is recordable while in video mode. You are still able to zoom in and essentially magnify a selected area but when you begin your recording the cropped or zoomed area goes away and your standard focal length will be recorded.
The viewfinder has a slight amber color as opposed to the bluish hue on the T3i. I can't say I see if this is a benefit or not but its worthy of mentioning for those doing research.
A friend asked me how much I think the T4i is better than the T3i. The only answer I had was this, "I was considering getting a 60D to take advantage of the faster shutter and better focusing (9 point cross type). Seeing how well those improvements on the T4i work, I forgot all about the 60D!" I know the 60D is better built and has a better/larger viewfinder but for my money, the T4i fit the bill!
These are things I've found to be improvements and overall nice features about the T4i but you should do as much research as possible. DPreview . com is an excellent site for camera gear information but the last time I checked they did not have a hands on review, only some canned information from Canon. Another great, I MEAN GREAT site is The-Digital-Picture . com. Again, too new for a review to be there but I encourage you to go there, absorb and be a well informed consumer and a better photographer!
Now I wonder if that 70D rumor is true.....
